The Ride
by BlackBird47
Summary: **New Chapter Update After Movie 6!** How did Dom and Letty get together back in the day? Here's my take on the flashback I always wanted to see...it all started with one little ride...R/R!
1. Chapter 1

A/N- This is a flashback I always wanted to see—how did Dom and Letty get together back in the day? Here's my version…it all started with one little ride...

The Ride

"Cops! Cops! Cops!"

At the sound of Leon's warning, Letty fought her way through the crowd, trying to get to her car, shoving people out of her way. But it was useless. The sirens were getting closer. There was no way she was going to make it to her car in time.

Suddenly, a car squealed to a stop beside her. Letty turned at the sound of Dom's gruff voice yelling her name. "Letty! Get in the car!"

She didn't have time to think, she just reacted, opening the passenger side door and barely getting inside before Dom accelerated, the engine roaring to life, Letty's whole body tingling with adrenaline at the sound of the engine and the feeling of him right beside her.

He didn't say one word to her as he expertly navigated the car to safety, taking back alleys at sixty miles per hour, jumping curbs, and speeding through red lights until they were on a road surrounded by desert, far enough away from the race site that the cops couldn't find them.

Letty twisted around in her seat, letting out a sigh of relief at the dark empty road behind them. "I think we're good."

Dom was still watching the road ahead, but he loosened his white-knuckled grip on the wheel at her words. "I can't go back to the house yet. They'll be looking for me tonight."

"Then let's just drive." Letty settled back in her seat.

Dom turned to her, his dark eyes impossible to read in the dim light. "You don't mind?"

"I don't mind." Letty smiled. "You totally saved my ass back there."

Dom's mouth twisted into a smile as he looked back to the road. "Well, I just couldn't watch those bastards lock up such a damn good racer."

"You think I'm good? Really?" Letty raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah. I think you're good."

"Good enough to beat you?"

Dom grinned. "Don't get ahead of yourself, kid."

Letty bristled slightly. "You've been gone a long time, Dom. I'm not a kid anymore."

Dom looked over at her, his eyes lingering on the black bra she was wearing underneath her thin white wife beater. "I can see that."

Letty felt a hot flush spread up her neck to her face. Dom had never looked at her like she was a girl before, no matter how badly she had wanted him to.

He had been behind bars for the last two years, and when she heard from Mia that he was out of prison, part of Letty hoped that when she saw him again, her feelings would have lessened or maybe even disappeared. But the moment he stepped out of his car after winning the race tonight, his arms spread in the air as everyone gathered around him, it hit her like a punch in the gut. She loved him. It was just that simple, and just that infuriating. What was the point of wanting something you could never have?

"So." Letty cleared her throat, tugging up her shirt. "What do you want to do now that you're a free man?"

"I just want to drive. Keep driving. Maybe you and me should just head into Mexico. Leave all this bullshit behind." Dom said with a small, peaceful smile.

"You and me?" Letty stretched out her long tan legs that were barely covered by a cut off denim skirt, resting her black combat boots on the dashboard.

"Yeah, kid. You and me." Dom turned to look at her with one hand still resting on the wheel as the darkness rushed past them outside.

"Stop calling me that." Letty growled, her dark eyes narrowed into slits. "I don't want to be your little sister, Dom."

"Then what do you want?"

Letty pushed up her skirt, Dom watching with wide eyes as she slid her underwear down her legs and over her boots before dropping it on the floorboard. Dom swallowed hard as she leaned over the center console towards him, her voice low. "So how long has it been since you got laid?"

"Too damn long." Dom reached out for her, his hand sliding underneath her tank top and up her mostly bare back.

"Pull over." Letty climbed on top of him in the driver's seat, her breath hot against his skin as she turned her head and kissed his neck.

Dom hastily turned the wheel, sending the car screeching off the road and into the sandy desert. He jerked the car into park as Letty took off her tank top, throwing it to the floor and shaking out her long dark hair afterwards. Dom unhooked her bra before he finally kissed her, Letty groaning into his mouth as their tongues tangled together. She felt him grow hard against her as they kissed, Letty undoing his jeans, shoving his pants down to his knees, her head falling against his shoulder when he finally entered her and they began to move together with hurried, frantic movements, their bodies pulsing with heat, needing to be closer, needing every inch of their skin to touch.

Neither said a word during, the only sound inside the car their heavy breathing and the thumping bass of a rap song on the radio. Dom's elbow accidentally hit the horn as he pulled her closer against him, but they didn't jump at the sudden noise. Letty just circled her hips against him harder, neither of them wanting it to end but both unable to slow down when it felt this good. Letty's teeth scratched against his flexed shoulder muscle as she cried out at the end, Dom cursing out loud with release before leaning back against the headrest, his eyes closed as they remained together, Letty shaking like a leaf in his arms.

The song on the radio ended, and the station went to an obnoxious commercial. Dom reached around her, turning the radio off, surprised to find his hand trembling slightly on the dial.

Letty pulled back to look at him, and when Dom opened his eyes, it was like they were seeing each other for the first time. He reached up to her, brushing a sweaty strand of hair off her forehead. "Where in the hell did that come from?" He breathed out, laughing weakly.

"I don't know." Letty leaned towards him, her forehead resting against his. "Cars just get me hot, I guess."

"I know the feeling." Dom kissed her again, Letty reaching down to lean the seat back. Dom laughed with surprise as the seat reclined, Letty climbing on top of him, ripping his shirt open to reveal his muscled chest.

"Round two?" she muttered against his mouth.

"Whatever you say." Dom pushed up her skirt, shaking his head with a smile. "This is crazy."

"Stop talking." Letty clapped her hand over his mouth.

Just over an hour later, they were both lying on their backs on the hood of the car, Letty wearing nothing but his shirt and her combat boots and Dom shirtless with unzipped jeans. They were both sweaty and exhausted and disheveled, but still smiling like idiots as they looked up at the stars.

"So how about Mexico?" Dom crossed his hands behind his head.

"If you're there, I'm there." Letty shrugged.

"Freedom, baby." Dom turned to look at her. "It's a beautiful thing."

"Welcome back to the team, Dom." Letty grinned.

Dom let out a long breath of relief at her words. "I should go home. I'm sure Mia's waiting by the door."

Letty sat up, having the strange sudden thought that the best night of her life was ending and there was nothing she could do about it. "Yeah. We should head back."

They slid off the hood of the car, reluctantly getting redressed in their own clothes before heading back to Dom and Mia's house. There was still party music emanating from inside, but no police in sight. The cops must have given up on Dom showing his face, but all the same, Dom and Letty parked behind the house and let themselves in the back door.

Everyone swarmed around Dom when they entered the party, Letty hanging back behind and watching as the night unfolded just like it always did. Vince made stupid jokes. Jessie tried to hook up with the first girl who would have him. Mia flitted around the party like the perfect little hostess she'd always been, making sure everyone was suitably fed and drunk and happy. And Dom was at the center of it all, just like he was meant to be. Nothing had changed. If Letty didn't still feel so blissfully shaky and sore, she wouldn't be sure anything had happened between them at all. She ended up crashing in Mia's room for the night, wishing she could stop thinking about the fact that Dom was sleeping right down the hall.

Maybe it wasn't such a big deal to him. He had been in prison for two years. Maybe she was just the first warm, willing body he'd come across. Maybe he just saw her as one of those mindless skanks who always plastered themselves all over him after he won a race. Another night, another girl. Why would she be any different?

Letty squeezed her eyes shut. This had been a huge mistake. The best fucking mistake she'd ever made, but still a mistake. All she could do now was pretend like it never happened when she saw him tomorrow. Then everything could just go back to normal.

"Morning." Letty walked into the garage the next morning to find Dom, Mia, Vince and Jessie already hard at work on a new car.

"Morning's over, sunshine. Mia said you were sleeping like the dead." Vince laughed. "What happened to you after the race last night? Hot date?"

"Shut up, man. I'm not in the mood for your shit." Letty sighed, leaning against the wall.

"She was with me." Dom spoke up unexpectedly, sliding out from underneath the car and sitting up.

Letty crossed her arms over her chest. "We had to go way off the map to shake the cops. Can't have Dom getting arrested his first day back."

"I told you it was a bad idea to race last night." Mia rolled her eyes at her brother.

"Hey, Letty?" Jessie suddenly interrupted, pointing at her curiously. "Why do you have bruises on your neck?"

Once Jessie pointed it out, the bruises from last night were painfully obvious. Vince laughed out loud. "I told you, man! She hooked up! Why are you covering for her, Dom? Was it someone that bad?"

Mia's eyes widened with a sudden stunned realization. "He's not covering for her."

Letty covered the side of her neck with her hand, mumbling as she stared determinedly at the ground. "It's not a big deal, all right?

Jessie looked between Dom and Letty. "You two did the nasty?"

Vince wrinkled his nose. "I think I'm gonna hurl."

"You're perfect for each other." Mia beamed.

"Out!" Dom barked, pointing outside. "Everybody get out. I need to talk to Letty."

Mia, Jessie, and Vince filed guiltily out of the garage, discussing what had just happened in low voices as they walked back to the house. Dom wiped off his grease-stained hands on his jeans, crossing to Letty and almost looking nervous.

"I didn't think this was going to be a team discussion." Letty said, her voice uncharacteristically quiet.

"It ain't a team discussion. It's you and me." Dom licked his lips nervously. "Last night was the night of my life."

Letty looked away. "Get a grip, Dom. I could have been anyone."

"Don't do that. Don't act like it was nothing." Dom turned her chin towards him. "It was something. You felt it too."

"Maybe it was just the car." Letty shrugged.

"Don't give me that shit." Dom shook his head, pulling her to him and kissing her hard. Letty closed her eyes, her body pressed up against his as she kissed him back, both feeling like a missing piece was finally falling into place.

When they broke apart, Dom kept his massive arm wrapped around her waist, their lips still almost touching. "You know what I think?" he asked, the sound of his deep, rumbling voice making her feel hot all over.

"What do you think?" Letty looked up at him, trying not to smile.

Dom lifted her easily into his arms. "You and I should go for a ride."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- Thanks so much for the great feedback guys! Hope you enjoy the next chapter…

Chapter Two

Letty turned off her car, just sitting back against the seat for a moment, hearing thumping music playing from inside the Toretto's car garage.

Mia's car wasn't in the front driveway. She must still be at school. None of the rest of the team's cars was parked out front either. Dom was working by himself. Letty took a deep, steeling breath, mentally commanding herself to cut the shit and get out of her car. This was ridiculous. Dom was one of her oldest friends. There was nothing to be nervous about.

Nothing except the fact that she and Dom had just had crazy hot sex in the front seat of his car a week ago—and pretty much every night after. Other than the one conversation they'd had the morning after, they never talked about what was going on, and the rest of the team didn't dare bring it up to Dom and knew Letty wouldn't tell them anything.

Letty had hooked up with idiot boys from her high school before, but those experiences had all been awkward and forgettable. Nothing any guy had ever done to her had even come close to making her feel the way she did behind the wheel of a car.

Until Dom.

"Shit." Letty muttered under her breath, rubbing her eyes wearily. Sometimes she really hated being a girl.

She climbed out of the car, pulling down her black tank top over the waistband of her old ripped up jeans. She had never given one thought to her clothes before she and Dom started sleeping together, but now she found herself wondering if she looked okay. Letty rolled her eyes. If Dom wanted some skank in a skintight dress, then he could go and find one.

Letty walked into the garage, hooking her thumbs in her belt loops as she leaned against the wall. Dom was engrossed with final tune-ups on his new baby, a 1987 Buick GNX that he was racing for the first time tonight.

"Nice ride, Dom." Letty smiled.

He jumped slightly, clearly not expecting company but smiling when he saw who it was. "Take a look."

Letty walked around the car appraisingly, and was pleased to see that Dom actually seemed to be a little anxious waiting for her approval.

"Well?" He finally prodded.

"It's a hot car, man. You know it is." Letty shrugged. "Did you see the engine mod? Jessie's idea. He worked on her day and night, but he would never get behind the wheel. I told him it might finally make a man out of him. We've got to pop his racing cherry one of these days."

"Not today. Not with this car. He'd be so nervous he'd wreck it before he got out of the garage." Dom threw her the keys, Letty catching them with one hand as Dom continued. "You're the only other person I'd trust behind the wheel of this monster. Let's go."

"Right now?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Letty blinked with surprise, glancing down at the keys. "You don't want to drive?"

"Nah. I'm sure you'll work her out just fine."

Letty swallowed hard, secretly and suddenly wanting Dom to rip off her clothes and work her out, right here in this garage. _Focus_, she mentally commanded herself. "Where do you want to go?"

"I'm starving. Let's get some dinner."

_Like a date?_ Letty's brain automatically questioned. At the thought, she literally wanted to kick her own ass. "Yeah. I could eat."

Dom nodded, hanging up the rest of his tools as Letty opened the driver's side door to the GNX.

"Hey, Letty. Wait." Dom said suddenly.

"What's up?" She stopped.

"C'mere." Dom licked his lips a little nervously.

Letty walked towards him, surprised when Dom took her face in his hands and kissed her on the mouth. She closed her eyes, kissing him back but keeping her distance. Dom pulled back after a moment, looking confused when she didn't seem as into it as she usually was. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure were fine as hell last night." Dom smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, thanks. I always wanted to do it up against your dryer." Letty said sarcastically. She was trying to be funny but her voice came out a little colder than she intended.

"Baby." Dom's mouth twisted into a smile. "I'm not really a roses and silk sheets kind of guy."

Letty didn't smile back. "Let's just drive, okay?"

Dom laughed, trying to ease the tension. "Would it make you feel better if I open the car door for you?"

"Don't be an asshole." Letty hissed, stalking back to the GNX and taking the wheel. They mostly ate in silence during dinner, Dom still looking confused as to why she was mad and Letty wondering gloomily if all they really had in common was fast cars and good sex.

After a very awkward dinner, their waiter finally brought the check, and Dom automatically took out his wallet. Letty shook her head. "Dom. Come on. We can split it."

"Don't worry about it. I got it."

Letty sighed. "Fine. Then I'll get us another round at the bar."

"My kind of woman." Dom smiled at her.

Letty shrugged with a small smile, standing up and walking to the bar while Dom waited to get his change and leave a tip. She walked up to the bar, taking a ten out of her jean pocket and motioning to the bartender. "Two Coronas, please."

A sun-burned, lanky surfer dude at the bar looked her up and down appraisingly. "You know, if I was your boyfriend, I would never send you to get my drinks."

Letty sighed. "If you were my boyfriend, I'd kill myself."

"Ooh, spicy." The guy at the bar laughed out loud, a stupid, drunken sound, before sliding out the stool next to him with his foot. "Sit with me."

Letty gave him a look. "Kiss my ass."

"I'd love to. You know, I like a girl with a mouth. Especially when she uses it to suck my—"

"Dude, seriously?" Letty rounded on him.

But he wasn't deterred, grabbing her hips and pulling her towards him. "Come on, slut, you'll be his bitch but not mine?"

Dom suddenly appeared like a massive blur, shoving the guy off of Letty and back against the bar, knocking over the asshole's long line up of empty shot glasses in the process. The sound of breaking glass alerted the rest of the bar to what was happening, and Dom, Letty, and the Prick suddenly had a very captive audience.

"What's your problem?" The guy sputtered, his flip-flopped feet uselessly trying to push off against the floor.

"You're my problem." Dom growled. "Touch my girlfriend again, and I put you through that fucking window."

"I didn't know she was your girlfriend," he whined.

"Well, now you know." Dom pointed a finger in the man's face, still clutching his collar. "Pay your tab, and get the hell out of here."

The guy shakily dug a five dollar bill out of his pocket, dropping it on the bar and hurrying out of the restaurant as fast as his pot-addled brain allowed. Dom looked around at the now-silent bar, letting out a deep breath. "Show's over, people."

Dom had a very authoritative presence, and Letty wasn't surprised when everyone obediently went back to their food and conversation. But she wasn't as impressed, crossing her arms over her chest when Dom looked back to her.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked quietly, looking her over as if she had been in the one in the bar fight, his hand on her arm.

Letty swallowed hard. "Don't call me that."

Dom sighed. "Are you just going to be pissed off at me about everything today? I was standing up for you."

"I was doing fine on my own." She picked up her Corona when the incompetent bartender finally brought it out, Letty taking a long sip.

"Sorry, boss." Dom held up his hands in surrender, and to his great relief, Letty finally smiled despite herself. He picked up his Corona as well, tapping the neck of the bottle against hers. "To first place tonight."

"To winning 10 Gs for our next car." Letty nodded to him.

"I'll drink to that."

She and Dom took a long swig of beer together, and finally, things felt a little more normal between them.

"I think Mia's home." Letty reluctantly pulled away from Dom at the sound of squealing tires and pop music playing in the driveway. Dom and Letty had gone upstairs once they reached Dom's house, already shedding clothes and making out in the stairwell as they revisited their new favorite way to work out their tension. After two beers at the restaurant, plenty of car talk, and a high-speed ride home, Letty seemed to be much more in the mood.

"Mia won't come up here, she'll just think I'm in the garage…" Dom shook his head, and for a moment, Letty gave in, hungrily crushing her mouth against his, their embrace growing breathless and frantic as they realized they might not have much more time alone together. But Letty seemed to regain her senses when Dom's hand went to the clasp of her bra just as they heard of the sound of Mia clanking around in the kitchen. If they took off any more clothes, there was no way they were stopping, and despite Dom's protests, Mia could come upstairs any minute.

"We can't do this now." Letty said, breathing hard as Dom kissed her neck. "Besides, isn't sex off limits before a race?"

"That rule's for boxers, babe," Dom mumbled against her skin, "not racers. It actually really calms me down."

Letty pulled away from him, raising her eyebrows. "Are you speaking from experience with one of your skanks?"

Dom sighed, realizing his mistake. "Letty. They got nothing on you. And you should know, there hasn't been anyone else since we…" His voice faded, not really sure how to define what was happening between them.

Letty rolled her eyes. "Wow, Dom. A whole week with just one girl. You deserve a medal or something."

"I've never done this before. Give me a break."

"Like I'm some expert?" She let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "What are we doing, Dom?"

"I thought we were having a good time."

Letty's dark eyes narrowed into a glare. "If that's all we're doing, don't ever call me your girlfriend again." She picked up her tank top off the floor, sliding it back on and rebuttoning her jeans as she got to her feet. "And don't come looking for me after you win tonight. I'm sure there'll be plenty of race whores in zipper-crotch shorts who are just _dying _to have 'a good time' with you."

She closed the door behind her before Dom had a chance to respond. Letty stormed out of the house, Mia looking up from the couch at the sound of the front door slamming.

"Letty?" Mia called, setting down the bowl of cereal that was always her after-school snack.

When she got no response, Mia retraced Letty's steps back to up her brother's bedroom. Dom was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling with a troubled expression, his shirt unbuttoned and his hands crossed behind his head.

Mia perched on the edge of her brother's bed when he refused to acknowledge her presence. "Was that Letty?"

"Yeah." Dom still wouldn't look at his sister.

"She left in a hurry."

Dom sighed heavily. "Can I help you with something, Mia?"

Mia sighed. "Dom. Where are you going to find another girl like her? She's hot and she's the only other person on this planet who likes cars as much as you do. Don't screw this up."

"I didn't do anything!"

"So she just stormed out for no reason?"

Dom finally gave in. "All I did was call her my girlfriend. I thought girls liked that."

"Did you ask her to be your girlfriend?"

Dom looked confused. "Do I have to ask?"

Mia winced. "Oh, Dom."

"What?"

"Do you want to be with her?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

"Do you love her?" Mia prodded.

"Mia. It's only been a week." Dom tried to laugh, but it sounded a little forced. Mia suddenly realized what was wrong with her brother. He was terrified.

Mia's eyes softened slightly with sympathy as she realized her brother actually needed her for once. "Do something, Dom. Make a gesture."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I can't do everything for you. Geez." Mia grinned.

Dom sat up, finally giving her a genuine smile. "All right, all right. Go get your homework done. I'll figure something out."

"I know you will." Mia patted his leg, Dom falling back on the bed as she left him to his thoughts.

"Ah yeah, there he is." Vince led the crowd as Dom climbed out of the GNX. Dom forced a smile, clapping hands with Vince and putting an arm around Jessie as he not-so-subtly scanned the crowd for Letty.

Finally, Dom saw Mia who smiled and made a tiny, pointing gesture towards the cars on the other side of the road. Dom turned and saw Letty's souped-up Pontiac Firebird with the hood popped, and then he saw her leaning over it to show something to Hector and Dom nearly choked.

Letty was still wearing her ripped-up jeans from that afternoon, but had traded her tank top for a skintight black leather halter top that was staying on with only two flimsy ties at her neck and the middle of her back. Her wavy dark hair was pulled up in a ponytail, leaving the tan skin of her back completely exposed.

"Damn." Dom breathed out, not caring that he was just standing there and staring at her like an idiot. What was he supposed to do? She looked hot as hell. From the time she turned sixteen, Letty had always had a sick body, but one of the best things about her was that she didn't really seem to know it.

But the fact that Letty had a better body than all the race girls dancing around cars beside her was apparently no longer Dom's best-kept secret. He noticed with a flare of jealousy that while Letty was excitedly talking to Hector's gang about the new turbo chargers she'd put in her Firebird, every guy standing behind her was checking out her ass. Even Hector, who had known Letty since she was a skinny kid asking him about car engines, seemed to be struggling not to look her up and down.

But she didn't notice. To Letty, the fact that she was barely wearing a leather halter-top didn't mean she couldn't talk cars. And if anybody tried to relegate her to the sidelines, she'd kick their ass. Or just outdrive them and shut them up for good. Dom's lips twisted into a smile. She was such a badass. Mia was right. He needed to lock things down with Letty. Right here, right now.

He walked across the street, crossing his massive arms over his chest as he joined the group of Hector's _idiotas _practically drooling over Letty.

"Race Wars ain't gonna be ready for this bitch." Letty smiled at the end of her speech, triumphantly slamming the hood back down.

Hector jumped back with a laugh. "Ai, Letty, you almost got my fingers!"

"Then quit feeling up my car, man." Letty shrugged with a grin.

"You gotta watch your back around this one, Hector." Dom said. Letty turned at his voice, her expression hardening at the sight of Dom.

"Don't you have a race to worry about?" Letty asked.

"I was just admiring your body work." Dom shrugged, stepping closer to her, a few people in the crowd snickering appreciatively.

Letty's cheeks flushed slightly, but her expression remained icy. "What do you want, Dom?"

"I just want to talk to you." Dom took her arm, pulling her aside and lowering his voice, their spectators moving on to the next car, nobody wanting to piss Dom off by eavesdropping.

Letty reluctantly let Dom lead her farther away from the crowd, smiling slightly when he turned back around and seemingly decided it was easier to look at her chest instead of her face.

She grabbed his chin, making him look her in the eyes, still smiling. "Yes, Dom. I have tits. This cannot still be a surprise to you."

"It ain't a surprise." Dom grinned. "I'm just trying to figure out a way to up my chances of seeing them later tonight."

Letty shook her head. "It's not gonna happen. I'm not doing the fuckbuddy thing anymore."

Dom nodded, holding out his hand, the keys to the GNX hooked over his thumb. "Then let's do something else."

Letty's eyebrows went together. "Like what?"

Dom opened her hand, placing the keys in her palm. "You fill in for me tonight."

Letty paled slightly. "Excuse me?"

"I want you to race."

"The GNX? Tonight?"

"Yeah." Dom smiled. "You're ready, babe. No more settling for Race Wars and small-time bullshit. Time for the big leagues."

Letty looked at him carefully, as if suddenly realizing something she didn't know before. "You'll get so much hell for this."

"I don't care." Dom said, his voice serious. "I'm sorry about earlier. Consider this my way of asking you to be my girlfriend."

Letty slid her tongue over her teeth with a smile as she looked up at him. "You have lost your mind."

"Are you saying yes?""

"I'm saying, hell yeah, I'll drive. The girlfriend thing…I'll let you know after."

"Oh, you're going to keep me in suspense?" Dom raised his eyebrows.

"You bet your ass."

Dom laughed, that booming, throaty sound that always made Letty feel safe and happy. He slung an arm over her shoulder as they walked back to their team.

Leon clapped his hands together at the sight of Dom and Letty. "All right, all right, all right, boss, let's win some money."

"Yeah. Letty's racing." Dom said in a would-be casual voice, dropping his arm from around Letty's shoulders.

The entire team looked at him with stunned silence for a moment, Mia shaking her head with a smile.

"What, like right now? Tonight?" Vince asked.

"Yeah. Tonight." Dom shrugged. "I trained all your asses for something, didn't I?"

Vince shook his head, an ugly bitterness settling over his features as he glared at Letty. "Come on, Dom. _Training _isn't what you've been doing to that ass."

"You got something to say?" Dom stepped closer to him.

"Yeah. I'm saying, maybe I should put out and wear a slutty shirt, and then you'll actually let me race for once."

"Oh, Vince. Nobody wants to see that." Mia giggled.

"It's my team. It's my decision. Letty's racing. End of discussion." Dom said in his most no-bullshit voice.

Vince shook his head. "No way, man. No way are we putting 2.5 on the line just so you can get with her tonight."

"Chill out, man." Letty finally had enough, stepping in front of Vince. "It's not like that, okay?"

"Then why are you racing and not one of the rest of us?" Vince challenged her.

"She's really good." Jessie surprised everyone by speaking up. "I went with her to some races down in the Valley, and she cleaned up."

"Then it's settled." Dom said.

"Go win us some money, girl." Mia smiled proudly at her friend.

Letty nodded, suddenly feeling incredibly nervous as it sunk in what she was actually about to do. She looked over her shoulder at the other three racers. Hector. Johnny Tran's toadie Lance, wearing his favorite snakeskin pants. And some rich kid asshole in a Nissan 350Z that looked like he'd just driven it off the lot.

She swallowed hard, feeling like her heart was pounding in her ears as she watched Leon get the GNX ready to roll. She could win this race, she knew it. But if she didn't… Letty didn't even want to think what it would do to the team. To Dom. To girl racers. If she lost, their team lost all the respect Dom had gained for them over the years. If she lost, she made girl drivers everywhere look bad.

Dom stepped up behind her, his hands on her shoulders. "Hey. Don't let them see you sweat."

"I'm fine." Letty said quickly.

He started rubbing her shoulders, like she was a boxer getting ready for a fight. It felt good, and Letty relaxed slightly against him as Dom kept talking in her ear. "Hector puts too much extra shit in his cars…you don't need to worry about him. And Mr. Private Prep School over there has never been done this before in his life. The only person you need to worry about is Tran's little second-in-command. I know Lance looks like an idiot, but Tran trains his boys to run other drivers off the road. He'll do everything he can to wreck you, especially if it looks like you're going to beat him."

"I know, Dom. I've seen you race him a hundred times."

"If he bumps you, don't over-correct. I've seen you do it before, and it just wastes time. You're on the outside lane, just like you like it. You'll be fine." Dom squeezed her shoulders one last time.

She looked back at him, and there was a brief, charged moment where they both wanted to kiss. But Letty knew she was going in to this race with enough of a disadvantage, and making out with Dom before he let her take his spot wouldn't exactly help her earn everyone else's respect as a real racer. So they restrained themselves. Dom just gave her a small smile. "You got this."

Letty smiled back. "I know."

Dom laughed as she walked towards the car, Leon clapping her on the shoulder as he left the door open for her. "Tear it up, baby girl."

Letty didn't reply, trying to ignore the jeering whispers and comments among the other teams as she settled into the driver's seat of the massive GNX and had to readjust the driver's seat to reach the pedals. Letty just stared straight ahead, revving the engine along with the other drivers until the sound and the feeling blocked out everything else. Everything seemed to grow quiet around her as she tightened one hand on the wheel and the other on the gearshift. Off Leon's signal, the flag girl took her position between the two middle cars. When she waved the flag to signal the start of the race, Letty jerked the car into gear and accelerated so quickly her head slammed back against the seat.

Dom was right about the prep school kid having no idea what he was doing. He fired off his first round of NOS in the first three seconds, and nearly drove off the road when his shiny little car rocketed forward. Letty glanced at her rearview mirror as he squealed his tires to try and get back on the track.

"Can't blow your wad that early, brother," she muttered under her breath, shifting gears as she sailed past Hector, Lance edging towards her on the right. Dom was right. Letty braced herself for impact, noticing her speedometer needle climbing well over 100 mph. Lance turned the wheel away from her to prepare for his attack, but Letty was ready. When he turned the wheel again to slam into the side of Letty's car, she hit the NOS button, easily accelerating out of his reach and smiling to herself as she heard the sound of his car spinning out behind her. Three seconds later, the GNX rocketed across the finish line well ahead of the other cars, Hector finishing second, Lance third, and Rich Boy fourth.

Letty exhaled a long breath as she eased the car to a stop, hearing stunned cheers outside her window. She couldn't stop smiling as she leaned her head back against the seat. She had done it.

A/N- More to come! Next chapter, Dom and Letty take a little road trip…


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- You guys totally rock. Thanks for all the awesome support you've given this story. This is the last part I had planned for "The Ride", but definitely keep your eyes open for another story…Dom and Letty have been an absolute blast to write about, and inspiration may strike again! Thanks again. Enjoy!

The Ride

Chapter Three

Letty brushed her teeth at the tiny hotel sink, wearing Dom's t-shirt and her favorite pair of worn-in pajama shorts as she heard the shower running in the bathroom. She and Dom had gotten to Las Vegas last night for a car show that they attended every year, but this was her first time going with just him.

It hadn't been planned that it would just be the two of them, and it made Letty a little nervous to already be taking a weekend trip when they'd just officially started going out a week ago. Originally, Vince and Leon were coming too, but they said that the garage was swamped, and told Dom and Letty to just go without them. Letty had the distinct feeling that the team felt weird around her and Dom now that they were a couple, and that was the real reason the guys weren't coming. Oh well. Tough shit. They'd get over it eventually.

After she had won the race last week, Letty had walked up to Dom with ten thousand dollars in cash in her hand, slapping it into his, Dom beaming proudly down at her as Mia, Jessie, and Leon cheered and Vince scowled beside him.

"Does this mean you're my girlfriend now?" Dom asked with a smile.

Letty sighed, trying not to smile back. "Yeah. Looks that way."

They didn't kiss in front of the team—Letty didn't know if she could ever do that and not feel totally weird. Vince, Leon, and Jessie were like her brothers, and Mia had been like a sister to her since she was just a kid.

Letty couldn't tell if Dom felt the same way about kissing her in front of the team. For as long as she had known him, Dom was still hard to read sometimes. He just slung an arm around her shoulders, beaming from ear to ear as he turned to look at the rest of the team. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's fucking celebrate!" Everyone laughed and cheered, gratefully following Dom, the natural order of things restored as they all made plans to go to the local bar before heading to the house. He handed the money back to Letty as they led the way back towards their cars. "You won it, babe. You hold it."

Letty flipped through the cash before shoving the rubber-banded roll into her jean pocket. "I guess drinks are on me tonight, then."

Dom laughed, leaning down towards her, his mouth against her ear. "Ride with me. Just you."

"No way, man. I'm not leaving my car here." Letty shook her head.

"What if I say I'll make it worth your while?" Dom countered.

Letty smirked. "I'd say, get a grip." She playfully shoved him with her shoulder, ducking out from under his arm and pulling her keys from her pocket. "I'll see you there."

"You know, I'm already starting to think this whole girlfriend thing is overrated." Dom said with a teasing smile, leaning back against his car.

"Yeah, well, you won't be saying that later." Letty muttered so only Dom could hear her, giving him a brief, fleeting smile at the excited look on his face. Before they could say anything else to each other, Vince banged on the top of Dom's car with his hand. "Dom, let's go, brother!"

The team had all piled into their cars and done their normal victory routine, first at the bar and then at the Toretto's house, and the only thing that changed was at the end of the night, Letty went to Dom's room instead of just crashing on the couch or with Mia.

Letty had wondered if things would be awkward between her and Dom now that they were a couple, but that night hadn't been awkward at all. It had just been different. Better. It was actually nice to know where they stood with each other instead of trying to decipher every action.

And now, here they were in Vegas, one week later. They had driven up together, and were so tired that they'd just crashed last night with hardly a word to each other. But now it was morning, and Letty felt a little nervous about how she should act. It was never just her and Dom. It was always her and Dom and the team. What would it be like between them with no one else around?

Just when she was rolling her eyes at herself for worrying so much, Dom stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

"Hey." Letty said, thinking her voice sounded overly loud in the otherwise quiet hotel room.

"Morning." Dom smiled, leaning down to kiss her. Letty hadn't been expecting it, and nearly choked on the toothpaste still in her mouth, coughing slightly when they broke apart.

She leaned over the sink, spitting out her toothpaste, her cheeks slightly red. That wasn't exactly how it went in the movies. "S-Sorry," she stammered.

"You okay?" Dom grinned, seeming amused as always when she was nervous and twitchy around him.

Letty wiped off her mouth with a towel, leaning back against the sink to look up at him. "This is weird, isn't it? Just you and me here is weird. And you should know— it's not like I didn't want the team here. It's not like I asked them not to come or anything."

"Letty." Dom put his hands on her shoulders. "You have got to chill out."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just…I've never done this before. The whole weekend trip thing." Letty said in a rush of words, thinking this must be the most she had said out loud in years.

"I haven't either." Dom pointed out.

Letty smirked slightly. "No skanks allowed in your car for that long, huh?"

"No way. Just my girlfriend." Dom smiled back. "Although she does sometimes leave her underwear on my floorboards."

"One time, Dom." Letty sighed.

"So far." He shrugged.

She laughed, finally relaxing a little. "Keep dreaming."

"Come here." Dom pulled her towards him, sliding his arm around her shoulders as they kissed. Soon, he lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the bed, Letty stripping off the oversized t-shirt she was wearing before kissing him again as he lowered her back against the pillows and rumpled sheets. He quickly got off the rest of her clothes, and she threw his towel on the ground before Dom took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply as he entered her, and Letty was thinking to herself that this was the first time she'd ever had sex in the morning, closing her eyes tighter when it started to feel really good, both of them starting to breathe harder, Dom gripping the headboard over her shoulder, Letty holding on to him tightly until it was over with a shuddering breath from Dom and a strange, warm sense of peace that settled over her.

She'd never felt like this before after sex. Like it had always felt good with Dom, and she'd definitely had an orgasm with him before, but this time, she felt something else too. Letty looked up at him, and a realization hit her like a shock. She knew what felt so different with him this time. She felt safe.

"Letty…" Dom brushed a sweaty strand of hair off her forehead, his low voice a little shaky.

"Yeah, Dom?" She licked her lips, his dark eyes on hers so intently it should have made her nervous, but it didn't.

"I…" he sighed heavily, rolling off of her, rubbing his bald head as he lay beside her. "Shit. I have no idea how to talk about this stuff."

"Yeah, I've noticed." Letty looked over at him, smiling despite herself. "It's cool, man. I don't either."

Dom turned to look at her, apparently deciding to give it a shot. "When I'm with you…I finally make sense. To myself. It feels like we should have always been this way."

"Yeah, well, it sure took you a long fucking time to figure that out." Letty muttered under her breath.

"I had to wait for you to grow up, kid."

Letty rolled her eyes. "I told you, _don't_ call me that."

"Or what?"

She smiled, pushing him down against the bed. "I'll hurt you."

Dom laughed his deep, gravelly laugh, holding onto her arms as if to fend her off. "Fine. What do you want me to call you?"

"Don't call me anything." She shrugged. "I'm still just part of the team, Dom. I don't want any special treatment."

"You know I don't do this with the rest of the team, right?" Dom laughed, stroking her bare arms.

"Yeah. Vince was really disappointed."

"Shut up." Dom laughed. "You and Mia give that poor guy so much hell."

"He asks for it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Dom sighed, holding out his hand. "So…if we're just teammates, maybe we should just shake hands."

"Fine." Letty grinned, shaking his hand firmly while still straddling him.

"Yeah, you know what, fuck that." Dom shook his head, taking her in his arms, Letty laughing against his mouth, kissing him back until he was on top of her.

Letty broke away with a sigh. "Whatever. We'll figure it out eventually."

"This works just fine for me." Dom leaned down, kissing her, looking happier than she had ever seen him when they broke apart. "It's you and me, babe. Until the end."

"Ride or die, right?" Letty smiled up at him.

"Ride or die." Dom smiled back.

Three words, and it was all they needed to say. Because they both knew what it really meant, even though neither of them could say it yet. Ride or die. We're in this together. I love you.

A/N- Thanks so much for reading, guys! I love reviews, and am hard at work on new stories as we speak…


	4. Feels Like Home

A/N- Well, I thought I was done with this story…but the sixth movie was so awesome, I got inspired and just had to add another chapter! Major spoilers for the sixth movie if you haven't seen it yet—and if you haven't go see it! So much Dom/Letty goodness! This is set right after they get back to the old Toretto house after Spain. Thanks so much for your support of this story—I hope you all enjoy!

The Ride

Chapter Four

"Still can't sleep?"

Letty turned at the sound of Dom's low, rumbling voice, Letty leaning back against the kitchen counter, her arms crossed over her chest. Dom was standing in kitchen doorway in a white t-shirt and sweat pants, not fully committing to coming in or staying out, seeming, as always, nervous around her, like he might say the wrong thing and piss her off at any moment.

She braced her hands against the edge of the counter. "No, not really."

"It's nice to know I'm not the only one."

"Whenever I do fall asleep, I just have bad dreams anyway. It feels kind of pointless to even try sometimes." Letty shrugged her shoulders. She was wearing a white and black striped bikini with a long sheer white shirt v-neck t-shirt over it, her dark hair pulled back into a still-damp, messy bun. She had gone over to Mia and Brian's house to hang out at their pool all day and play with baby Jack, but Dom had opted out, staying to work on his car at the garage.

Letty and Dom had been staying at the 1327 Toretto house together ever since they had gotten back to California, but they almost always had people over, whether it was Mia, Brian, and the baby, Han, Tej, or Roman. The only time they were ever alone in the house was at night, and even then, it was usually very late by the time everyone else went home. Dom slept in his old room and Letty slept in Mia's. They had never discussed their current sleeping arrangements; that's just where they had put their bags the first night, so that's how it had stayed for the past two weeks.

Most nights, after Dom went to sleep, Letty came downstairs and watched TV or went to the garage to work on the cars, just something to try and calm herself down and turn her brain off. But nothing really helped.

Every time Dom looked at her, she felt it—he wanted her so badly to remember, to be here with him, to go back to the way things had been between them before.

But she didn't remember any of it, no matter how hard she tried. And even though she was definitely developing feelings for him, feelings that kept getting stronger the more time they spent together, maybe even falling in love with him, she didn't know if it would ever live up to what they'd had before, so she didn't want to say anything about it and risk letting him down and ruining the tenuous friendship they'd been steadily building ever since they'd gotten to California and started to tentatively rebuild a life together.

Letty looked at him thoughtfully for a moment as Dom took out a beer from a fridge, offering it to her. She nodded, and he handed the bottle to her before grabbing one for himself.

"Dom?"

"Yeah?" Dom twisted off the top of her beer.

"Did I ever used to have trouble sleeping? After a job?"

"Sometimes."

"Did you?"

"Yeah." Dom twisted off his top as well, taking a long sip of his beer. "But we'd always…uh…we had a way we'd work around that particular problem."

"What was it?" Letty grinned slightly at the look on Dom's face. From everything he'd told her about their previous relationship, she had a feeling she could guess the way they used to cure their post-job insomnia, but it was way too much fun watching him try to think of a nice way to say "screwed each other's brains out." Dom took another long swallow of his beer before setting it down on the kitchen table.

"Well…I remember once…it was actually your nineteenth birthday…it was the very first time I let you actually do a job with the team. We'd been dating for a couple years by then, and I didn't want people to think I was just letting you on the team because you were my girl. But you wouldn't let it go. And you were the best damn driver I had, no question. So I was running out of excuses. Still I kept asking you if stealing DVD players instead of going out with your friends was really how you wanted to spend your birthday, and finally you told me the best birthday present I could give you was just to shut the hell up and let you drive. " Dom grinned with remembrance. "So we did the job, and then you and I were supposed to take one of the Civics to a parking garage to switch out the plates, wipe off the prints, and leave it on Tran's part of town and switch over to the Charger that I'd left a couple blocks away. We switched out the cars, but uh…once we got in the Charger, you…had other things on your mind."

Letty's smile widened. "Front seat or back?" 

"Both. But you never liked the backseat of the Charger much. You always said the seatbelt buckle dug into your shoulder. That's why you liked it on top."

"Didn't it hurt your shoulder?"

"I never noticed."

"How many times did we…that night, I mean?"

It was Dom's turn to smile. "Four. And then you got this look in your eyes like you could have gone for five, but the cops showed up at the garage across the street and we had to clear out."

"Five times…" Letty said under her breath, suddenly feeling a million years old. "Happy birthday to me." Letty took a sip of her beer, her dark eyes narrowed as she looked him over appraisingly. "Did you think I was a slut?"

"No way."

"What did you think?"

"I thought you were sexy as hell. I thought I was the luckiest idiot in the world every time you even let me be around you. Every time we were together, it felt like I had made you up or something."

"Why?"

"Because I got to go home every night with a girl who actually knew how to connect a supercharger to a crankshaft of an engine. Because there's no one in the world I could talk to like you." Dom crossed closer to her, reaching out, his hands on her waist, touching her almost as if he didn't even realize he was doing it, "Because I knew right then that you were my perfect woman."

Letty looked up at him, licking her lips. "But not anymore, right?"

"What do you mean?" Dom traced the curve of her waist through the thin material of her t-shirt with his thumbs, seemingly distracted by the long unexplored, once-memorized contours of her body.

"I mean, I'm not that person anymore. I mean, I remember the car stuff, and there's bits and pieces where I think things are starting to come back about you and Mia, even Brian and Han and this place…but then it's gone. It never lasts. I may never remember. I may never get any of that back. When you tell me things…like that story about my birthday…I mean, she sounds like a cool chick…but it doesn't sound like anything that ever happened to me."

"I'm not lying to you."

"I don't think you are." Letty took a deep breath, setting her beer down on the counter. "I just think we have to face reality here, Dom. I think we have to face the fact that I may never remember any of it, no matter how much you want me to. No matter how much I want to. It may never happen. And if that's not gonna work for you…we should stop this now. Before we make things any harder."

"Make what any harder?" Dom slid his hand under her t-shirt to the back of her bikini top, his hand tangling in the strings.

"Dom…" Letty breathed out. "I'm a fucking mess after all of that bullshit with Shaw, and so are you. Maybe…maybe we shouldn't…maybe we should just try being friends for a little while…" Her voice sounded weak to her own ears.

"I hate to break this to you, kid, but we were never just friends." He tugged slightly at the strings to her bikini top, undoing the knot.

"So what were we?" She muttered as Dom pushed her back against the sink, kissing her neck.

"Maybe I can help you remember." One of Dom's hands slid under her t-shirt, starting to massage her breast, Letty's hands clenching on the counter, her nipple raised and erect under his blunt, tapered fingertips that seemed to know exactly where to go and what she wanted as Dom's lips moved to the underside of her jaw, his breath hot against her skin when he spoke again. "Tell me if you want me to stop, and I will. For good."

Letty didn't say anything, leaning her head back, breathing harder, one of her hands finally going to his muscled shoulder, but Dom couldn't tell if she was pushing him away or encouraging him to keep going. He looked up at her, his other hand already midway through untying the bikini string knot at the nape of her neck, Dom taking a deep breath, forcing himself not to go any further until he knew for sure. "I mean it, Letty. Tell me if you want me to stop."

"If you stop now, I'll fucking kill you." Letty growled, Dom looking immensely relieved, untying the knot and pulling her t-shirt off over her head, Letty helping him, both frantic when the t-shirt got caught on her shoulder, Dom finally just ripping it at the seams of the shoulder, Letty happily shedding the destroyed shirt as Dom slid her bikini bottoms down to her ankles, Letty hurriedly stepping out of them, Dom on his knees on the kitchen floor as Letty leaned back against the counter, Letty closing her eyes as he kissed her legs, her stomach, her breath hitching in her throat as he started to go down on her against the kitchen counter, Dom's hands gripping her waist, Letty's hands at the back of his head.

After he made her come so hard they heard a neighborhood dog barking outside with protest at the noise she made, Letty shoved Dom backwards, out of the kitchen as they stumbled back together towards the staircase, Letty pulling down his sweatpants as she pushed him back down against the stairs, straddling him, lowering herself down as Dom gripped her hips, Dom groaning with pleasure as he entered her and she started to thrust against him hard, Letty gripping the stair over his shoulders for leverage, Dom's hands tightening on her hips as she moved back and forth harder against him, unbearable heat flooding over both of them with a dizzying, near-sickening intensity that made the room seem to swim strangely, both of their breathing growing more shallow and erratic, Dom watching sweat bead and drip between her breasts as she rocked back and forth, Letty's knees tightening on either side of him as her whole body started to pulse with heat again. She liked the way Dom kept saying her name, like he knew her, really knew her, like he'd said it a million times, been with her, just like this. It made her feel good. Safe. Letty started to move against him faster and harder until it was all over far too soon for them both, Letty collapsing against him in the stairwell, Dom's hands moving up to clutch her shoulders, both of their sweaty, muscled bodies heaving up and down as they tried to catch their breath, feeling like they had just walked through fire together again.

After a moment, she pulled back slightly to look at him, Dom sitting up slightly on his elbow on the stairs to look at her, his other hand going to her cheek, his dark eyes so full of longing and protectiveness and kindness and…

"I love you, baby. I missed you so much. So much it nearly killed me." Dom stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I think the only thing that kept me going is a part of me…I never really gave up on you. I never really believed you were gone, not really. I had to keep believing because if you were really gone, there would have no point. No point to any of it. But I…I never thought we'd make it back here. Letty…I-I've never been this happy before in my life."

Letty looked down at him, completely overwhelmed, almost like he'd just shot her this time. And when he pushed himself up slightly to kiss her, she pulled back. She climbed off of him, barely muttering out an apology before racing up the stairs, slamming the door to her room closed behind her.

When she heard his gentle knocking a little while later, Letty looked up from the side of her bed, her eyes burning with tears of frustration (mostly at herself, but also at him) as she glared at the floor, about to yell at him to go the fuck away but unable to be reminded of something she'd said to him not that long ago—

_You've got some serious balls, man._

Any man who would drive a car out of the nose of an Antonov airplane and come knock on her door after she'd literally pushed him down after sex in a staircase followed by a love declaration might deserve a second chance. So Letty just said—

"Door's open."

Dom came in, wearing his t-shirt and sweatpants again, now slightly rumpled, and somehow the thought of him having to go collect them from the trail of clothes they'd left around the bottom floor of the house made her torn between laughter and sympathy. Letty was wearing an old Race Wars t-shirt and pajama pants that she'd found in Dom's room that he'd told her she'd used to wear all the time and she had now commandeered as her usual sleeping attire.

"Can I sit?" Dom indicated the space on the bed next to her.

"Whatever." Letty shrugged, unknowingly sounding very much like the surly teenager version of herself she no longer remembered.

He sat down beside her, Letty turning to him, looking at him almost suspiciously. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Finally, Letty surprised them both and broke the silence.

"You have got to cool it with that love stuff, man. I can't handle that yet. I know you say you know me, and you've known me forever, and I'm trying here, but to me, it's been three weeks."

"I know. I'm sorry." Dom rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "For me, it's been fifteen years."

Letty looked at him for a long moment. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Dom shrugged. "But…can I just try something? Just one thing? I realized we might have forgotten something back there."

"What?"

"Close your eyes."

Letty rolled them dramatically before she did it. "This is so stupi—"

But suddenly, Dom's mouth was against hers, gently at first, but then harder after a moment when Letty felt herself responding, her mouth parting against his, Letty sighing something about how good it felt in a voice that didn't even sound like her own as the kiss grew even deeper and Letty's mind went oddly, suddenly quiet, like the feeling she got when a car accelerated beneath her with her foot on the gas pedal, like something that made sense to her at last, her whole body filling up with a warmth and peacefulness, like that night she and Dom had spent racing through the streets of London, the night she had come the closest to true happiness since this horrible, fractured new life had begun when Owen Shaw had found her in that hospital bed. Nothing had made sense to her since she had woken up in that hospital bed.

But this, right now, with Dom, this made sense. And she wanted more. Letty took Dom's face in her hands, holding on tightly, kissing him back fiercely, wanting to hold on to this moment, not remembering the thousands of other times she had kissed him before but recognizing that Dom seemed to know how to kiss her, how to touch her, and as they turned more fully toward each other, Letty's arms snaking his neck, Dom's arms going around her waist, she never wanted him to stop. They just kissed for a long time, Dom's hands clenching in the fabric of her t-shirt to keep himself from taking her clothes off or pushing her back on the bed or making this go anywhere else, both so worked up by the time they broke apart that they were both practically panting.

Dom disentangled himself from her first, still both sitting on the edge of the bed, Letty looking at him, confused. He reached out, his hand on her cheek again as he looked right at her, shaking his head at the look on her face. "Those eyes, man. They still kill me. That's where it all started."

"What are you talking about?" She watched him get to his feet. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to my room." Dom grinned. "Cooling things off. Like you wanted."

"Then what was that?" She indicated the bed.

"The kiss?" His grin widened. "I've just been wanting to do that ever since you shot me."

"You need help, Dom."

"I'm not the one running around shooting people." He pointed out.

Letty laughed, finally a real laugh, one that sounded like the laugh he remembered. "Go to bed."

He held up his hands in mock surrender, Letty still laughing as he closed the door behind him.

"All right, turn her over." Dom looked around from where he had just put the finishing touches under the hood of the Charger.

Letty turned the keys in the ignition, firing up the monstrous V8 engine she and Dom had spent the last week putting in the Charger in the garage and putting the car into neutral. The old engine was rusted and out of date, and as Letty put her foot on the gas, revving the new engine into life, Letty couldn't help but smile proudly like it was their baby taking its first steps, Dom walking around to the open driver's side door.

"Not bad, huh?"

"Not bad at all." Letty let the engine idle as she sat back to look at him, smiling as she saw what he was thinking. "You want to take her out?"

Dom crossed his arms over his chest with a grin. "A car that sounds this good? I want to propose marriage."

"Let's do it." Letty shrugged.

For one crazy moment, Dom thought she meant get married. But since they hadn't even kissed again since that one night, let alone done anything else, it made much more sense when she slid over to the passenger seat, and he realized she just meant take the Charger for a ride. He couldn't tell if she was just avoiding the topic of what had happened between them that night, or if the ability to be just friends was another unfortunate side effect of her memory loss. Either way, it was about to drive him crazy, but Dom had no idea how to bring it up or even if he had any right. He was still happy to have her around, in any way, but working with her every day in the garage, and fighting the urge to be with her like they used to was getting harder and harder, especially now that he knew that it was still just as good, if not better when they were together. But she seemed fine with the way things were, even a little distant, and some days Dom couldn't even tell if she could stand him, let alone liked having him around.

They mostly drove in silence, and when they did speak it was usually with one word sentences, getting out of the shitty Los Angeles traffic and finally out to the desert where they could really drive, both rolling down their windows, trading off taking the wheel, shifting through the gears, making hairpin turns, speeding around corners and over hills, trying out everything they could think of to make sure all of their hard work on the car the past week had paid off.

Finally, when the sun started to set over the desert, the sky turning purple and red over the cactus strewn hills, Dom parked the car and they both got out to sit on the back, leaning against the back windshield together, looking up as the stars and the moon came out above them.

"I need to talk to you about something." Dom unexpectedly broke the silence between them.

Letty looked over at him. "Okay."

"I've been thinking about going to Rio. Going back, actually. Once we get our pardons from Elena and Hobbes tomorrow."

Letty sat up slightly. "What?"

"You remember I told you about Vince? My best friend growing up? One of your best friends too, actually."

"Yeah, sure."

"Well, his kid and wife still live in Rio. I want to make sure they're doing okay. And I like it there. I think it might be good for me to get away for a little bit. Clear my head." Dom looked away from her. "Maybe it'd be good for you too. If I leave, I mean."

"I don't understand."

"You could stay with Mia and Brian and Jack if you want, so it's not like you'd be lonely or anything. Or they could even come stay at the old house whenever. Tej and Roman are leaving soon. Han's going to Tokyo. Everyone's going their separate ways…and I just feel like maybe I should go too. At least for now."

Letty's brow furrowed with confusion. "You nearly kill yourself to get a computer chip worth billions of dollars, and you said that all you wanted in return was to go home, and then as soon as you get home, you want to leave again?"

Dom sat up as well, rubbing his forehead wearily. "I thought if I brought you back here, it would make things better. I thought it would fix things. But it hasn't. I feel like I'm making you miserable, or smothering you, or driving you crazy, or all three at once most days. So I think…I should just go. I want you to be happy, Letty. That's all I want. That's all I ever wanted. And if me getting out of here is what it takes to make you happy…then I'll go."

She just looked at him, her dark eyes narrowed but her reaction to his pronouncement hard to read. The sun had slipped low behind the hills in the distance while they had been lying on the back of the car, and now night had fully fallen around them while they had been talking.

The stars and moon provided enough light that they could still see each other, but it was getting harder to make out each other's expressions, especially when Letty sat back, her fingers interlocked on her flat, taut stomach, and she turned away from him, Dom only able to see the lines of her profile—her long, straight jet-black eyelashes, the distinctive feminine slope of her nose, her full lips, her slender neck and full breasts straining the material of her black tank top—just some of the purely shallow things about her that made her so beautiful without Letty having to do a single thing to herself. Dom wanted to reach out and touch her so badly it felt like a physical ache in his chest to sit so far apart from her, but he didn't, just waiting, wondering if she would even care when he left.

"You don't have to leave." Letty finally said, so quietly he could barely hear her.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Letty looked up at him, licking her lips before pressing them together. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, man. It's your life. It's your decision." She pushed herself up to a sitting position, jumping down from the back of the car, taking a deep breath that almost sounded a little shaky. "Let's get out of here."

Dom watched her walk back to the passenger side door, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, feeling so frustrated he wished he could dig up that asshole that had wrecked her car and kill him all over again.

But he couldn't. And he couldn't keep doing this. He couldn't live with her, see her every day, be so close to her, and not be with her. If she didn't want to be together, he needed to get out of here. Hell, he needed to be in another country if she expected him to stay away.

So he would leave. For her. She'd dealt with plenty of his shit over the years, even if she didn't remember it now. He remembered. And he was going to do everything he could to make sure he never hurt her again.

"Dom, when has you leaving her ever _helped_ Letty?" Mia looked at her brother, her brown eyes so like his own full of exasperation, balancing baby Jack on one hip as she and Brian talked things over with him in their kitchen.

"She doesn't want me around, Mia."

"You gotta give her some time, Dom. She probably doesn't know what she wants yet. We haven't even been back for a month." Brian pointed out, eating tortilla chips out of the bag and dipping them straight into the salsa jar.

Letty had disappeared into her room once she and Dom had gotten back home and he had heard the shower running, so he had left a note saying he was going down the street to Brian and Mia's to drop off some of Jack's toys that they had left behind on their last visit. It wasn't the greatest excuse, but he felt like he needed to talk things over with them without Letty around before Dom bought his ticket for Rio and Elena and Hobbes came by tomorrow with their pardons.

"I am giving her time to figure out what she wants. By getting out of town." Dom countered.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Mia asked, handing Jack off to Dom when the baby kept straining for his uncle, both red and blue striped-pajama-clad arms reaching out insistently.

Dom balanced Jack on his lap, taking the Charger keys out of his pocket and letting Jack play with them, the baby cooing happily. "I don't know."

Mia shook her head, tying her long black hair back in a ponytail with the rubber band around her wrist. "You always do this."

"Always do what?" Dom raised his eyebrows.

Mia looked at her brother for a long moment as if deciding whether or not to be honest. Finally, she went on. "Whenever things get hard, you run away. From all of us. From her. And you try to say it's for the best, that you're doing it for us, to keep us safe, but that's not true and we all know it. You know it."

"Mia—" Dom started to say, but she shook her head, cutting him off.

"You always say that your code is family, that we're stronger together—then act like it. Stay here. Stay with her, even if it's hard. That's what love is. Sticking it out, even when it sucks. Even when you want to kill each other. You're my brother, and you know I love you, and I'm grateful for everything you've done for us—but part of being family is telling you the truth even when it's hard to hear it. So you have to hear this now. You're running away because you're scared. Letty's always been the only person that scares you, anyone can see that. But you have to get over it. She needs you. You need each other, you always have. Don't run away this time. Don't do this to her again. She may not remember you leaving her the last time, but we all do. And it nearly destroyed all of us. It nearly destroyed you. It nearly got her killed. We've worked so hard to get here, Dom. We lost Vince, and Gisele, and all sacrificed so much to be right here, together. We finally got our family back, Dom. And I'll be damned if I'm going to just stand here and pretend I'm okay with you tearing it apart just because you're scared."

Brian looked between the Toretto siblings in the long, tense silence that followed. Even Jack didn't make a sound. There were tears slipping down Mia's cheeks but her gaze held steady as she stared at her brother, almost daring him to look back at her. Dom's clenched jaw twitched slightly as he glared down at the kitchen table like he was trying to bore a hole through it with his eyes.

Finally, Dom gently handed Jack back to his bewildered father, walking towards the back door without giving his sister a second glance. "I'll call you from Rio, Brian." Dom muttered, leaving out the back of the house and closing the door hard behind him.

When Dom got home, Letty was nowhere to be found, and Dom stomped up the stairs to his bedroom, throwing open the door and starting to pack angrily, slamming drawers and closet doors, throwing his clothes and passport into a gym bag, and getting on his computer to book a plane ticket. He found a flight for the next night from LAX to GIG in Rio with just one connection, and turned around in his chair to get his wallet so he could book it on his credit card when he stopped. Letty was standing in the doorway to his room in jean shorts and a white wife-beater, her hair down around her shoulders, still wavy and damp from her shower.

"What do you want?" He said, aggressively getting to his feet, anger at his sister and this entire situation unfairly starting to spill over towards her. "Look, Letty, you can think whatever you want, but I'm not running—that's not what this is—"

"Chill out, man." Letty leaned against the doorframe. "I was just starting to wonder if you were coming back or not," she said quietly, shoving her hands in her pockets. Letty looked down at his bag of clothes and passport, kicking it with the toe of the old black lace up knee high boots she was wearing. "But you've already got one foot out the door, huh?"

"Yeah. Looks that way." Dom felt anger draining out of him just looking at her, already feeling guilty. "I just need to book my ticket."

"Right." Letty nodded, twisting her hands together.

"What's wrong?" Dom asked softly.

"I don't know…I just…" she tucked her hair behind her ears, swallowing hard, "I've just been thinking…" She crossed to him at the desk, but her voice trailed off.

"Thinking what?"

Letty licked her lips, hugging her arms over her chest, staring down at the floor.

When she still wouldn't look at him, he rested his hands on her arms. "You got something to say, say it."

She finally looked up at him, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "I don't want you to go."

Dom took a deep breath. "I can't just be your friend, Letty."

Letty shook her head. "I don't want that either."

"Then what do you want?"

Letty reached around him, slamming his laptop computer closed on his desk so he couldn't book his ticket to Rio, not breaking eye contact with him the whole time, their mouths almost touching as she did it. "I don't want to run away anymore either." She leaned forward, closing the distance between them, kissing him, a deep, slow kiss, almost exploring him, like she was finally allowing herself to give in to wanting him and learning everything she'd apparently once known so well about his mouth, his body, his hands, and how his seemed to fit together so perfectly with hers, so effortlessly, this time with no holds barred. Dom's hands went to her lower back, but didn't tighten against her as he kissed her back. Now he was the one holding back. He still didn't trust her. When they broke apart for breath a long while later, Letty kept his face in her hands, wanting to make sure he heard her, hoping she would even be able to get this out.

"Look, Dom, I know this sucks. I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around since we got back here, and I may never be the easiest person to be around. I'm still figuring out who the hell I am, who you are, everything. And I may not know everything about you, but I know how I feel when I'm with you. You make me feel safe. I don't know what we were to each other before, but I know what I feel for you now…and you feel like family. You feel like home. You brought me back to life. And when you said you were leaving tonight, it felt like a part of me died all over again. And I don't know if it's ever going to be enough, or what you want, or what it was before…but I love you." Her grip tightened on either side of his face, her voice breaking slightly. "And _I don't want you to go_."

There was a moment of unbearable silence as she had to wait for his response, Dom looking over her face, taking in a deep breath.

Finally, Letty sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly with defeat. "I know you don't owe me anything after the way I've—"

"I'm never leaving you again." Dom cut her off, kissing her with bruising force, lifting her into his arms, Letty wrapping her legs around his waist, maybe accidentally, maybe purposefully kicking his computer off his desk so there was no chance he was booking any ticket to anywhere, Dom completely oblivious as they practically tore each other's clothes off, Dom getting off everything but her lace-up boots as they made their way back to his bed, ending up with him on top of her as they made love, her boots still wrapped around his waist, looking in each other's eyes at the end this time, finally feeling truly connected, not just trying to rediscover who they had been but coming together as the people they were now. Dom kissed her at the end, rolling off of her, both of them staring up at the ceiling fan's lazy rotations as they lay together afterwards in the tangled up sheets of his bed.

"Holy shit, man." Letty breathed out, running a hand through her hair. "Is this a normal thing? Is it always like this when we…"

"Well, we didn't do it four times a night because we hated it." Dom grinned, turning on his side and brushing her hair back behind her ear. "Are you going to push me out of bed if I say I love you this time?"

"Seriously? Every time?" Letty grinned, letting him kiss her again, her hand resting on the back of his neck. "No, I'm not going to push you out of bed."

Dom looked down at her for a moment. "What if I ask you to marry me?"

Letty blinked. "What?"

"Why not? We never had the chance before. Hell, we never even had legal driver's licenses before. But once we get our pardons tomorrow…there'd be nothing stopping us. Make this whole family thing official. "

To his immense relief, Letty smiled. "Dude, you are crazy. You know that, right?'

"I've been told." Dom smiled back. "What do you think? Yes or no?"

Letty laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah. Yeah, sure, why not. Let's do it."

Dom looked truly happy for the first time since she'd met him again, practically beaming at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." Letty pulled him down to her and kissed him, finding his happiness oddly infectious. "Although I might just blame good sex for this decision tomorrow…"

"Stop it." Dom shook his head, playfully pinning her wrists over her head like she had always liked before. "Should I get all of this in writing? So you can't back out?"

"Shut up. You got my word. I'm good for it." Letty wrestled out of his grip, straddling him and pinning him down. "Should we shake on it? Or something?"

"Or something." Dom's booming laugh echoed through the bedroom as they made peace. Again.

"Hey, Mia. Over here." Dom motioned to Mia when she walked into the little diner that had taken over their old grocery store. It was bizarre seeing the old Toretto's sign missing, replaced with some new family name, but it was nice to see that it was thriving business now, a 1950's family-style diner full of people early the next morning when Dom had texted her and asked if they could have breakfast, just them.

Mia spotted him, her eyes tired and a little dubious of this meeting after their confrontation last night, but she made her way over to him, put together as always, wearing an orange crocheted sweater dress, her long dark hair curled and pinned back, sitting down across from him at the booth, her mouth tight and eyes narrowed, very prepared to lay into him again if necessary.

"You all packed?" Mia asked coldly.

Before Dom could answer, a perky waitress in a blue waitress uniform with a white collar and a nametag that read SHELLY approached their table. "Hey there! What can I get you two?"

They both looked up at her with matching expressions of mild annoyance. "Uh…" Dom glanced down at the menu. "Coffee. And the breakfast plate with scrambled eggs and bacon."

Mia looked down at the menu as well. "Yeah, same for me. But orange juice instead of coffee, please. And sunny side up eggs with fruit instead of bacon."

"Sure thing." Shelly practically pranced away, blond curls bouncing on her shoulders.

Mia and Dom looked back at each other, and there was an awkward silence. Mia felt like she couldn't just ask the same question twice, and glaring at him in such a bright, happy diner was starting to feel a little overly dramatic.

Dom seemed to know what she was thinking, filling the silence for her. "Mia. I'm not going anywhere."

Mia blinked with surprise. "What?"

"I'm not going to Rio." Dom sighed. "You may want to record this moment for future generations or something but…you were right. I was being an idiot. I was running. And it wasn't the first time. And I'm sorry for all of the shit I've put you through because of my mistakes."

"Dom—" Mia reached out for his hand, her brown eyes filling with tears again.

"Just please know that everything I've ever done…it's all been to try and protect you and Letty, and the team…all I've ever wanted is to keep all of you safe. You most of all, and I couldn't even get that right. I'm your big brother. That's my job. Especially when dad…and then I fucked that up, and left you all by yourself…I failed him. I failed our family. But most of all, I failed you." Dom's voice broke slightly, "I'm so sorry, Mia. I'm so sorry that happened. I'm so sorry I left you all alone, when you needed me the most. I've been trying to make it up to you ever since, and I feel like I just keep getting it wrong and letting you down—"

"Dom. Stop. What happened after dad died…it's done. It's over. I forgive you." She squeezed his hand, tears slipping down her cheeks as she smiled slightly. "I'm fine. And look at all of the things you've done. You've brought us all back together. You saved all of us, so many times I've lost count. I couldn't ask for a better big brother than you."

"But last night—"

"I didn't want you to go. I was upset. I didn't want you to leave Letty, and me, and Brian, and Jack. That would be a huge mistake. And if I didn't tell you, nobody would."

"I know."

Shelly the Waitress brought their drinks, keeping her smile plastered on her face even though Mia was obviously crying and they were obviously having a very in depth discussion. "Your food will be right out!"

The Toretto siblings both nodded vaguely to her, before returning to their conversation, Mia wiping off her cheeks and sitting back against the booth.

"So what happened that changed your mind?" Mia asked her brother with a small sardonic smile. "I'm guessing it wasn't just my infinite wisdom."

"Well, Letty and I talked last night…"

"There it is." Mia's grin widened. "You know, even when we were all just dumb kids, whenever you were giving me a hard time about school or boys or whatever else, I was always so glad Letty was around to talk some sense into you. Sometimes it feels like she's the only one you really listen to." Mia took a sip of her orange juice. "What did you two talk about?"

"Just..." Dom struggled for a moment to put last night into words. He didn't know if Letty would want him to tell anyone about the marriage thing yet, or if she would even still agree to it this morning. He had kissed her good-bye before he'd left for breakfast, Letty still half-asleep, mumbling "See you later" before rolling back over and falling back asleep, Dom smiling at the sight of Letty's small bare frame mostly hidden by sheets except for one black lace up boot clad foot hanging off the bed. "We just figured things out. I guess you could say Letty and I…uh, made up. Finally."

Mia looked at her brother carefully. "But did really _talk_, right? You didn't just…"

Dom shook his head. "Nope. Not doing this with you. We're not talking about this stuff."

"Dom. We're both adults. I have a kid for God's sake. I think we can—"

"Oh, look, breakfast." Dom finally looked happy, even thrilled, to see Shelly the Waitress. "Thank you so much, Shelly, this looks delicious."

Shelly blushed slightly. "You're so welcome."

Mia rolled her eyes, cutting into her sunny side up eggs, muttering to her brother as Shelly walked away. "You are ridiculous. I'm going to be on my sixth kid, and you're still going to go to your grave swearing I'm a virgin, huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dom put ketchup on his scrambled eggs.

Mia shook her head, smiling. "Fine, fine. You and Letty. You guys made up. So what now?"

"So I'm staying. We're back together."

Mia crossed herself with a little laugh. "Thank God. Balance in the force again."

"Was that a Star Wars reference?" Dom took a bite of his breakfast.

"The old trilogy. Not the shitty newer ones where Darth Vader just whines a lot."

Dom raised his eyebrows at his sister.

"I'm quoting here." Mia giggled. "Blame Brian. He's really set on Jack being raised on 'the classics.'" Mia included the air quotes. "Apparently Roman had to give Brian a film education once they were in high school because he never got to watch much TV growing up, so according to my husband, that is not happening to our son."

"I knew I liked O'Connor." Dom laughed, and the Toretto siblings ate their breakfast in peaceful silence for a moment, ending up talking about much more fun, light topics until after Dom paid and they started to walk down the road home together. After Mia looped her arm through his, Dom spoke suddenly. "Thank you, Mia."

Mia looked up at her brother curiously. "For what?"

"For saying all of the stuff dad would have said to me last night. You were always the most like him. I always wanted to be—tried to be—but it just came so easily to you…you could make anyone feel welcome, you were just born the kindest person in the world…I look at you with Jack and I just think…that kid is so damn lucky to have you as his mom. I'm so proud of you."

Mia grinned. "Aww, come on, stop…"

"Seriously. I couldn't ask for a better little sister."

They had reached the mailbox that read 1327 outside their old childhood home. Mia stopped, looking up at him with a smile. "Yeah, well, Jack's got a pretty great uncle too."

Dom smiled back. "Tell Brian I'll start the grill around five."

"Okay." Mia reached up, hugging her brother tightly around his massive neck. "I love you, Dom."

"Love you too." Dom hugged her back, messing up her hair after a moment. "Now get out of here. I'm sure O'Connor's probably burned the house down without you."

Mia laughed. "Probably so. See you in a few hours."

Dom gave her a little wave when she looked over her shoulder and waved before walking off down the street, both siblings feeling a little sad to go their separate ways at the front porch of their old home, but even though time had passed and things had changed, they both knew how lucky they were that they still had each other after everything they'd been through, and for a moment, they both felt like their father was still there with them on their childhood street, and as Dom turned towards the front door that led back to Letty and Mia walked home to her husband and child, and they returned to their families and adult lives, both Dom and Mia secretly hoped that if their father was watching, he was proud of who they had become.

_One Month Later_

"Honey, where is Jack's other shoe?" Mia leaned over to whisper in Brian's ear as they sat in the front row of the Toretto's family church as the witnesses to Dom and Letty's wedding, Mia balancing Jack on her knee and examining the fact that one of his feet was mysteriously bearing nothing but a sock.

"I don't know. He keeps throwing them whenever we go places. Always just one shoe. I don't think he has a single complete pair left anymore." Brian twisted around in the row to check for the missing shoe but it was nowhere to be found.

"Well, then I guess we can't count on hand-me-down shoes for his new little brother or sister." Mia grinned, her hand involuntarily going to her stomach.

Brian grinned back. "I'm so excited, babe. Should we tell them at lunch? I think we should tell them.

"No, Brian." Mia said insistently. "Today's about Dom and Letty. And besides, it's still really early. The doctor said we should wait before telling anybody."

"Well, it's not like I'm going to put "_We're Having Another Baby_" on a sandwich board and go stand on a street corner, but they're our best friends. They're family, babe—"

The priest's words suddenly interrupted Brian and Mia's debate. "Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands and declare your consent before God and His church."

"Oh, shh, honey, they're doing the vows." Mia patted Brian's arm, smiling, the baby's shoe forgotten as she watched Dom and Letty took each other's right hands in front of the altar. The priest from when they had all been kids had remembered them from the old days in the neighborhood and happily agreed to do the ceremony. Dom was wearing a nice white shirt and slacks, and Letty had never looked prettier, wearing a floor-length white sundress with her dark hair loosely braided back on the sides with the rest falling in long waves around her shoulders.

Dom took a deep breath, smiling at Letty. "I, Dominic Toretto, take you, Leticia Ortiz, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

The priest nodded to Letty. Dom interlaced his fingers through hers, and the simple gesture gave her courage as she pressed her lips together before speaking, realizing she was finally owning who she was, who she loved, what she wanted…Braga and Owen Shaw and all of those other assholes had tried everything to take her life away. And it hadn't worked. She was here. She was taking her life back. With Dom right beside her. "I, Leticia Ortiz, take you, Dominic Toretto, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

They exchanged their rings Mia beaming from the front row, Brian smiling with his arm around his wife, Jack starting to get fussy from sitting still for so long, the Priest looking between Dom and Letty.

"You have declared your consent before the church. May the Lord in His goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with His blessings. What God has joined, let no man divide. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Dom leaned down to Letty as she reached up to him, the hand now bearing her platinum wedding ring resting on his cheek as they shared their first kiss as man and wife, Mia and Brian clapping and cheering from the front row, Letty's other hand going to the back of Dom's neck as Dom wrapped his arms around her waist, Jack looking around, a little confused at his parents both making such loud noises, but looking relieved when Dom and Letty rejoined them after they thanked the priest and shook hands and his mother stood up and it seemed like they were all going somewhere more interesting than this too-quiet church where no one was paying much attention to him.

"Congratulations, man." Brian clapped Dom on the shoulder as they all walked out together, Letty holding her now-husband's hand, looking a little overwhelmed with how happy she felt as Mia fell into step with her on the other side, looping her arm through Letty's as Mia balanced Jack on her other hip. "You're a beautiful bride, Letty. I mean, I always knew you would be, but you look gorgeous. Like a model."

"Uh…thanks." Letty looked down at the ring on left hand, spinning it around her finger with her thumb experimentally, feeling the engraved inscription against her skin. _Ride or Die. _One night, lying in bed about a week before the wedding, she had asked about ride or die, why he had said it that night in London, and Dom had explained to her what they'd used to say to each other. What it meant.

_ "That's how we said I love you?" Letty asked, her head resting on his chest, hearing his heartbeat against her ear._

_ "Yeah. In the beginning, when we were too scared to really say it. When we were just kids. And then when we didn't want to say it in front of the team because…you know. And then it just kind of became a thing. Everyone started saying it. The whole team. But it started with us."_

_ "Ride or die." Letty smiled. "I love that."_

_ He had kissed her temple, and they had fallen asleep. But then when they had gone to pick up their rings before the wedding, Ride or Die had been engraved inside, Dom smiling at her, looking a little nervous about whether or not she would like the surprise. "Too much, baby?" He'd asked her at the jewelry store counter._

_ Letty had practically knocked him over she'd kissed him so hard, her arms wrapped around his neck. _

_ "Not too much, then, I suppose, sir." The jewelry store associate, a rather stuffy older man wearing a bowtie, smiled to himself and shook his head as he'd boxed up their purchase and put everything in a nice bag. They may not be his usual customers, but he'd made a huge commission from their purchase of matching custom platinum rings, so he wasn't complaining. They could kiss all they wanted._

And now, here they were. Man and wife. They walked out to the car with Brian, Mia, and Jack, when all of a sudden, Dom's phone buzzed in his pocket. They all looked at each other, confused, all thinking the same thing—they were all together. Who else would be calling? Unless it was something bad.

Dom took the phone out of his pocket, looking down at the screen and then back up to Letty, Mia, and Brian. "Unknown number. Hold on one second." He answered the call, stepping away from them and pressing his other ear closed, trying to hear over what sounded like police sirens and screaming in the background. "Who is this?" he demanded.

An unfamiliar British accented voice responded. "Dominic Toretto…you don't know me. You're about to."

Before Dom could say another word, the line went dead.

A/N- Thanks for reading! Reviews make my day!

Oh, and if you follow any of my other stories—a quick update—I just finished my first year of teaching (finally!) so I now have the summer off to work on my writing, so expect updates soon! Thanks again for all of your support—it really means the world to me!


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